The Last of Us Part 3 Taking Shape—Naughty Dog Shifted Focus to Single-Player Games

The Last of Us Part 3 remains unannounced, but the possibility of another major entry in Naughty Dog’s series has become increasingly difficult to ignore. The studio hasn’t officially confirmed the game is in active development, but a few comments from Neil Druckmann, some changes in the studio, and hints around its future projects have kept the possibility alive.

The biggest early indication came in February 2024 during the Grounded 2: Making The Last of Us Part II documentary. Druckmann revealed he had an idea for another chapter and described it as exciting as the ideas behind the first two games. 

That was not an announcement of The Last of Us Part 3, but it was a significant shift from the uncertainty surrounding the series. 

Druckmann had previously suggested that The Last of Us Part II could serve as the conclusion to the story. His comments in 2024 instead made it clear that there was at least another concept that could potentially become a full game.

The timing also matters because Naughty Dog had already moved away from its biggest multiplayer project. The Last of Us Online was cancelled after years of development, with the studio explaining that maintaining the game as a live-service title would require too many resources and could seriously affect its ability to continue producing the single-player experiences it was known for.

The cancellation effectively allowed Naughty Dog to return its attention to the type of games that built its reputation. The studio had reached a point where it could either commit heavily to live-service development or continue focusing on story-driven single-player games. It ultimately chose the second option.

That decision allowed The Last of Us Part 3 to become part of the studio’s long-term plans. The cancelled multiplayer project had reportedly been designed as a large-scale experience set within The Last of Us universe, with players exploring a map, completing objectives, fighting other players, collecting resources, and extracting from areas. 

With The Last of Us Online gone, attention naturally returned to the possibility of another single-player sequel. There is still a major question surrounding the story, however, particularly whether Ellie would remain at the center of it.

The Last of Us Part II gave Ellie a complicated ending. After spending much of the game pursuing revenge against Abby, she ultimately walks away from that path after losing much of what she had. That conclusion could easily serve as the end of her story, and some fans believe Naughty Dog should leave it there.

There is also another direction the studio could take. 

A third game could continue the stories of Ellie and Abby and expand the world beyond the locations we visited in the first two games. If Naughty Dog decides to bring back the current cast for one final chapter, Tommy could also have a significant role.

Alternatively, it could feature a completely new cast. The Last of Us universe has already established a world filled with different communities, factions, and survivors, meaning Naughty Dog does not necessarily need to continue with Ellie to tell another story.

An open-world approach has also become part of the discussion. Naughty Dog previously considered making The Last of Us Part II an open-world game, although the scope and ambition of that project eventually made a more focused structure necessary. Even so, the studio has experimented with larger environments, particularly through Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us Part II.

A future game could build on those ideas. 

A third installment could offer players a larger area to explore with settlements, hostile factions, resources, and optional stories spread throughout the world, rather than simply moving from one linear location to the next. That would represent a significant evolution for the series while still keeping its focus on characters and narrative.

Druckmann has also been careful not to suggest that Naughty Dog will automatically make a sequel simply because The Last of Us has been successful. He has pointed to Uncharted as an example of the studio being willing to end a successful series when the creative team believes the story has reached its natural conclusion.

For The Last of Us Part 3, his position has been straightforward. The series could continue if Naughty Dog can develop a story with a compelling idea and a meaningful message. Otherwise, The Last of Us Part II has a sufficiently strong ending for the franchise.

It's an intriguing situation now, as Naughty Dog appears to have plenty in the pipeline. The studio is currently developing Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and Druckmann has also said that another project is being developed internally.

Druckmann said he was working on another Naughty Dog project in 2025 with a more supervisory role, calling himself someone who can mentor the team, provide feedback, and be an executive presence. The identity of that project remains unknown.

His decision to step away from his creative involvement with the HBO adaptation of The Last of Us has added another layer to the speculation. After the show's second season, Druckmann announced he would no longer return in the same creative capacity for the third season.

That does not confirm that The Last of Us Part 3 is next, but it does put Druckmann's attention firmly back on game development.

There have also been hints that more The Last of Us announcements are coming. During The Last of Us Day in 2025, Druckmann shared a message suggesting that he would have more updates about the franchise when the time was right. Later comments also indicated that more things were happening within The Last of Us universe that had not yet been announced.

None of this amounts to an official reveal, but the collection of statements is becoming harder to dismiss. Naughty Dog has a known concept for another chapter, Druckmann remains involved with the franchise, and the studio has chosen to prioritize single-player development after cancelling its live-service project.

Meanwhile, the cancellation of The Last of Us Online has led to another interesting development. Its former director, Vinit Agarwal, announced that he was moving to Japan to establish a new game studio. He also hinted at future multiplayer games, suggesting that the cancelation didn’t quell his interest in the genre.

The future of The Last of Us, then, seems to be divided between several possibilities. Druckmann is working on Intergalactic and other games, Naughty Dog is busy with new single-player projects, and The Last of Us still has an unresolved story concept waiting in the background.

The Last of Us Part 3 is officially not confirmed for now. There is no confirmed release date, platform, gameplay footage, or definitive story information. What does exist is a growing collection of clues suggesting that Naughty Dog has not completely ruled out returning to this world.

If the studio eventually decides that its next story is strong enough, a third game could become one of its biggest projects yet. Until then, Intergalactic and the studio's other secret project will likely take priority, leaving The Last of Us Part 3 waiting for the moment when Naughty Dog believes the time is right.